A generic model of consciousness
arXiv Preprint Archive January 2, 2024
Summary
Scientists have mapped how our feelings emerge from the interplay between memory and physical sensations, offering a breakthrough explanation for one of neuroscience's biggest mysteries. This model shows how consciousness arises through a dynamic feedback loop: our memories shape how we interpret physical signals, while bodily sensations influence what we remember. Bridging neurobiology and cognitive science, the framework explains consciousness across humans, animals, and potentially AI systems.
Abstract
This is a model of consciousness. The hard problem of consciousness, what it feels like, is answered. The work builds on medical research analyzing the source and mechanisms associated with our feelings. It goes further by describing a generic model with wide applicability. The model is fully consistent with medical pathways in humans, but easily extends to animals and AI. The essence of the model is the interplay between associative memory and physiology. The model is a clear and concrete counterexample to the famous philosophical objections to a scientific explanation.